Improved method of extinguishing fires



PATENT EEICE.

LEA PUSEY, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

IMPROVED METHO'D OF XT'INGUIVSHINGv FIRES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 14,252, dated February12, 1856.

To all whom it may con/@ermA Be it known that I, LEA PUSEY, ofPhiladelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania,have invented an Improvement in Extinguishing Fires, and that thefollowing'is a full, clear, and exact description of the principle orcharacterl which distinguishes it from all other things before known,and of the usual manner of making, modifying, and using the same,reference being had tothe annexed drawings, of which-- Figure lrepresents a detached part of the water-spout; Fig. 2, a section ofsame; Fig. 3, a perspective showing this pipe arrangement ready for useand attached to the building; Fig. 4, a view of the pipe with the hoseattached to one of the branch connections B.

Myinvention consists in adapting the Waterspouts employed to conductwater from the roofs of buildings to convey and discharge water upon thetops or elevated parts of buildings in case of fire.

When hres occur, especially in very high buildings, it is often founddifficult or impracticable to get the hose of fire-engines up to thepoint of elevation required, and in many cases impossible to reach thehre by the jet of water, and the destruction of property occasioned bythese difficulties is so great as to give great value and importance toany really feasible plan for a remedy. I am aware that attempts havebeen made to distribute a system of pipes throughout abuilding throughwhich water is to be conveyed in case of iire; but such a plan has metwith no encouragement, for the reason that the expense would be verygreat and the pipes-unsightly and inconvenient, and the pipes, having nouse except when a hre should occur, would be likely to get out ofrepair, and in many instances might remain as long as the buildingwithout occasion for their use. I attain successfullytheendin view. Imake use of the water-spout-a necessary fixture ot' every goodbuilding-to convey the water to the several stories of the buildings,and so construct these spouts as to perform in` time of rain their usualduty and to be applicable in time of re so as to convey water easily byhose to any part of t-he building. The spouts in this case are made ofsufficient thickness of metal to resist the pressure, and are furnishedat top and bottom with the appropriate parts of coupling-joints for thehose attachments, and also at suitable intervals with branchconnections, which are also furnished with suitable coupling-joints, andwith caps to be used when the coupling-joint is not required.

The pipe A may be attached to the wall by the ordinary means of hooks orclasps, or may be inclosed within the wall, and, if desired,

there may be at every story ot' the buildinga branch connection B B,which when not in use at lires is covered by caps C C. At the top of thepipe, where it receives the water from the eaves-spout D, there is anenlargement or cup E, in which there is a diaphragm or partition F, inwhich there is a valve G, opening downward, as shown in Fig. 2.Connected with this cup, on one side of the partition, is a pipe K, toreceive the water from the eaves-spout, and on the other side of thepartition the pipe L, to which the hose is to be attached in time oftire. eaves-spout opens the valve and the upward stream ot' water fromthe fire-engine or other source closes this valve.

In case of fire, the cap is removed from the pipe and the hose attachedin its place, and access thus readily had to any part of the building. fThe metal of the pipe A being thicker and more durable than in commonspouting, it may be embedded in the masonry of the building, having onlythe branch connections visible, and thus not only be free from injurybut remedy the unsightliness of the usual water-spouts upon the outsideof buildings.

What I claim as myimprovement in extinguishing lires is- The adaptationof the water-spouts of buildings to this purpose by means substantiallythe same as those herein described.

LEA PUSEY. Witnesses:

T. CAMPBELL, CHAs. G. PAGE.

The water from thev

